1

Technical Features

HEAT ENERGY RECOVERY POTENTIAL

FROM SEWERS IN MELBOURNE
A study to determine whether heat extraction from
sewers is technically and financially viable
F Pamminger, D Scott, L Aye, R Jelbert

ABSTRACT the potential available energy in the

Energy is the second largest cost to a water cycle of Amsterdam, van der Hoek
water utility, behind manpower, and it (2012) identified that Amsterdam could
is forecast to significantly increase. Not achieve greenhouse gas neutrality for its
only does the urban water cycle need operation if all of this potential energy
energy to operate, it also contains both could be recovered.
thermal and chemical energy. One method already adopted
Researchers have identified that internationally is to recover heat energy
the urban water cycle in Amsterdam has from sewers. The theoretical potential
enough potential energy to offset all of heat recovery from a sewer is about
the greenhouse gas emissions presently 12kW per litre per second of wastewater
emitted to operate it. One method used flow rate, assuming a 3°C temperature
to recover this potential available energy drop in the energy recovery heat
is to extract heat from sewers. exchanger.

The first examples appeared in The first installations were built more
Europe over 30 years ago, and there than 30 years ago; the first example is at Figure 2. Heat exchanger integrated
the Touring Club Switzerland in Emmen into a sewer wall using Rabtherm
are now over 500 wastewater heat Singen technology (WWT, 2011).
pumps in use worldwide. Our challenge near Luzern, where a wastewater heat
was to determine if heat extraction pump has been extracting energy from the bottom of an existing sewer pipe
from sewers was both technically and wastewater to heat the office buildings (Figure 1), or a sewer pipe can be
commercially viable in Melbourne. It was since 1979 (WWT, 2011). manufactured with the heat exchanger
found that while it would be technically elements integrated into the bottom
Today there are over 500 wastewater
feasible in Melbourne, it was, however, part of the wall (Figure 2). Alternatively,
heat pumps operating worldwide,
not presently commercially viable for wastewater can be filtered and diverted
with heating capacities ranging between
the site tested. To make such a project into a separate pit containing a heat
10kW and 20MW (Schmid, 2008). CRM
commercially viable future natural gas exchanger.
(2005) considers that a heat pump needs
price increases in the order of 260%, to have a heating capacity of at least The heat energy extracted from a
or market demand to offset electrical 130kW for a sewer heat recovery project sewer can be used for both hot water
heating instead of gas, are needed. to be efficient and cost-effective. Smaller and space heating. To convert or
INTRODUCTION systems are possible; however, the unit upgrade this low-grade heat energy
costs of the system would be greater. from a sewer requires an additional
A study of Melbourne forecasts that
energy source to drive the heat pump,
the energy required to provide water Three options are presently used which can be either electricity or gas.
services into the future could increase to recover heat from a sewer. A heat A schematic diagram of the essential
by between 50% and 300% by 2045, exchanger can either be installed into elements of an electric heat pump in
depending on the form of urban
heating mode is shown in Figure 3.
development, residential water use and
type of water supply adopted (Kenway et The same installation can be used for
al., 2008). Not only will energy demand space cooling and hot water production
increase, energy market modelling simultaneously, by rearranging the flow
undertaken for the water industry out to via valves. Figure 4 shows the schematic
2032 concluded that electricity prices for diagram of a heat pump in cooling mode.
industrial customers in Melbourne could It should be noted that the wastewater is
increase in the order of 1.5 to 2 times receiving the heat rejected from the heat
in the same period (SKM MMA, 2012). pump in this mode.

Not only does water need energy Although widely used internationally,
to be delivered, it also contains both Figure 1. Heat exchanger added to an no example of a sewer heat recovery
thermal and chemical energy. Analysing existing sewer (Hamburg Wasser, 2011). project is yet operating in Australia.

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Technical Features

Figure 3. Electric heat pump in heating mode. Figure 4. Electric heat pump in cooling mode.
Table 1. Preliminary assessment of potential sewer heat recovery sites.
Diameter Flow Available power Yearly energy No of times larger than
Suburb Potential consumer
(mm) (L/s) (kW) (MWh) YVW office annual usage
Bayswater
900 20.5 129 1,129 x2 Commercial centre
North

Industry development
975 40.8 256 2,246 x4 Croydon
centre, School

Shopping centre,
1050 62.6 393 3,447 x6 Ringwood
Commercial centre

Heidelberg
1050 247 1,556 13,627 x 24 Commercial area
West

975 270 1,698 14,871 x 27 Preston Shopping centre

potential heat energy, it was compared

Table 2. Heating and cooling demands for synthesised demand centres.
to the total energy used at its head office
Demand centre Description Floor area (m2) that accommodates approximately 600
employees. This comparison identified
Residential complex 10 storeys, 95 apartments 23,650 that the potential energy at the five
Townhouses 27 townhouses 7,582 sewer sites varied between two to 27
times as much as is used at the Yarra
Supermarket Open seven days for 17 hours 2,900 Valley Water head office. Identifying such
a large heat energy potential warranted
Aged care facility 45 beds 7,200
a more detailed assessment to determine
Aquatic complex 50m pool, 25m pool, leisure play pool 6,400 if such an option was actually technically
and commercially viable.
Accordingly, Yarra Valley Water Advice from Hamburg Wasser also
Technical feasibility
has undertaken this investigation suggests that the demand needs to be
assessment
to determine whether it is both in close proximity to the heat exchanger,
preferably within 200m. To refine the preliminary analysis we
technically feasible and commercially
wanted to determine if such a project
viable in a business sense to extract The amount of heat energy that can was feasible in practice, considering
heat from a sewer in Melbourne. be extracted is then estimated for any annual variations in wastewater
wastewater flow rate, assuming the temperature and whether this could
METHODOLOGY
specific heat of wastewater to be a meet the actual annual heat energy or
Desktop assessment constant of 4.19 kJ kg-1 K-1, and selecting cooling demand variations in Melbourne.
Schmid (2008) suggests that the an acceptable temperature drop due The Preston site, identified from the
following conditions are required for to heat extraction (Aye, 2013). preliminary assessment as having the
a sewer to be viable for heat recovery: Adopting an average typical highest potential, was selected for the
wastewater temperature in Melbourne, more detailed analysis.
• It needs to have a sewer pipe diameter
and allowing a temperature drop of Part of the appeal was that the
greater than 800mm;
3°C, Yarra Valley Water identified its 28ha site is presently undergoing
• The dry weather wastewater flow rate top five potential sites that closely redevelopment, so potentially could
needs to be greater than 30L s-1; and match the conditions described. The offer cheaper integration options. It
annual potential heat energy available did, however, require hot water, space
• The water-covered surface at the varied from 1,129 MWh to 14,871 MWh, heating and cooling demand centres to
bottom of the sewer needs to be as summarised in Table 1. To give the be synthesised as we did not know what
at least 0.8m2. business a sense of the magnitude of the the eventual development would be.

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Technical Features

The technical feasibility study

examined both the theoretical potential
useful heat that can be obtained by
recovering heat from the sewer, and
the theoretical potential useful cooling
that can be obtained by rejecting the
heat to the sewer. Demand included the
provision of hot water, space heating
and space cooling. Alternative
technology options available were
considered, together with the method
of heat distribution and impacts of
heat extraction from the sewer.
Climate data collated for a typical
meteorological year for Melbourne
(Morrison and Litvak, 1999) and the
estimated annual heating demands
were used to estimate the annual hourly
demand profile. The heating load capacity
demand profile for a typical week in July
was adopted, while the heating season
was selected to be between mid-May
and mid-September. The maximum
peak heating demand is estimated to
be 0.85MW. The maximum peak cooling
demand is estimated to be 1.3MW. The
Figure 5. Synthesised potential demand centres. assumed cooling season was adopted to
run between December and February. The
cooling load capacity demand profile for a
typical week in December was adopted.
Transient system simulation modelling
was then undertaken to quantify the
potential heating and cooling that the
chosen sewer could deliver. TEMPEST
V1.01 (Durrenmatt and Wanner, 2008)
and TRNSYS 17 software (Klein et al.,
2012) were used. A typical water-to-
water heat pump with a nominal heating
capacity of 2.3MW was selected for
the analysis to determine the maximum
possible environmental impacts, and
the simulations run for a seven-day
period for each season.
Commercial viability
assessment
Costs were sourced for both capital
expenditure and anticipated annual
Figure 6. Variation in sewer temperature.
operations and maintenance costs.
We used this opportunity to synthesise Sewer temperature variations at Capital costs included sewer heat
a development comprising five different the site were monitored and displayed exchangers, sewer installation, pipework,
building types (demand centres), each consistent variability throughout the heat pump, circulation pumps, hot water
heat exchangers, external heat pump
chosen to test different potential demand monitoring period with temperatures
plant room enclosure, and controls and
profiles. These included a 10-storey varying between 13.1°C and 21.1°C, monitoring. Operating costs were made
residential complex, a cluster of 27 as shown in Figure 6. This does reflect up from electricity consumptions of the
townhouses, a supermarket, an aged care theory, which indicates that seasonal heat pump and circulation pumps, and
facility and an aquatic centre. The design soil temperature fluctuations decrease system maintenance. Translating this
notional development into an actual
details of each of these are summarised with depth, stabilising at about 6m for
project would be anticipated to increase
in Table 2 and are shown in Figure 5 to clay type of ground (Williams and Gold, costs because factors such as road
highlight the physical proximity to the 1976). The sewer depth at this location closures, disruption to existing services,
existing sewer. is approximately 6m. engineering and design services, and

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Technical Features

Table 3. Heating and cooling demands for synthesised demand centres. Table 4. Average heat transfer capacity
of heat exchanger for heating.
Hot water Space heating Heat demand Space cooling
Demand centre Sewer Area of heat Heat transfer
(MWh) (MWh) (MWh) (MWh)
diameter exchanger capacity
Multi-storey residential (mm) (m2/m)1 (kW/m2)2
24 x 1 bedrooms 37.6 84.9 122.5 43.4
57 x 2 bedrooms 129.4 233.4 362.8 119.4 500 0.75 4.0
14 x 3 bedrooms 44.2 65.1 109.3 33.3 750 1.15 4.6
27 Townhouses 114.8 250.6 365.5 128.3 900 1.30 5.2
Supermarket 6.4 36.7 43.1 115.2 1050 1.60 6.4
Aged care facility 84.2 21.0 105.2 285.9 1275 2.10 8.4
Aquatic complex 1,893.3 61.7 1,955.0 42.3 Notes:
CRM (2008)
Total 2,309.9 753.4 3,063.3 767.9 Assumed average specific heat extraction rate
= 4 kW/m2; Rabtherm (2012)

5.8kW of heating per m length of sewer

using this technology. The length of
heat exchanger required if an electric
heat pump is used with a 1MW heating
capacity, with a 722kW heat extraction
rate, is 125m. If a natural gas engine
driven heat pump is used, the heat
exchanger length can be reduced to 92m.

Impact on sewerage system

Using a sewer for either heat extraction
for heating or heat rejection to provide
Figure 7. In-situ heat exchanger (Rabtherm, 2012). cooling will change the temperature of
authority cost have not been included. The potential annual total cooling the wastewater in the sewer. Viability
A Net Present Value (NPV) assessment supplied was 15,460 MWh. The average needs to be suitably designed so that
was undertaken of all costs, together heating capacities are 2.9MW and there is no adverse impact on operating
with potential revenue streams. 3.9MW for an electric heat pump and gas the sewer, and the downstream
engine driven heat pump respectively. treatment plant. Schmid (2008) quotes
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The average cooling capacity is 1.8MW. the Association of Swiss Wastewater and
Technical feasibility Considering that the hot water and
Water protection experts recommending
The annual total heat demand (i.e. space heating demand, together with the
that the temperature of wastewater
combined hot water and space heating space cooling demand of the synthesised
should not be reduced below 10°C
demand) of the synthesised development development, are 3,063 MWh and 768
MWh respectively, and the peak demand at the point where wastewater enters
is estimated to be 3,063 MWh, and the
capacities are 0.85MW for heating and the sewage treatment plant.
annual total cooling demand is estimated
to be 768 MWh. The aquatic centre has 1.3MW for cooling, full heating and
In this case study the sewer is many
the largest heat demand (64%), while the cooling of the development at the
kilometres from the sewage treatment
aged care facility has the largest cooling site could easily be achieved.
plant, with many downstream inputs,
demand (37%). The distribution of load The length of heat exchanger required hence there will be negligible impact
among different demand centres is shown has been estimated using data from on the sewage treatment plant. Locally,
in Table 3. CRM (2008) and sourced from a product
however, the temperature will drop
The technical study identified that manufacturer (Rabtherm, 2012). Rabtherm
to a minimum of 8.4° C at 2,000m
it was feasible to use the sewer as a has a product that can be used for either
downstream of the extraction point
heat source or heat sink. If a gas engine- heat recovery or heat rejection. A schematic
diagram for a heating application is shown when 2.3MW of heat is extracted. It is
driven heat pump was selected, which is
in Figure 7. The heat exchanger transfers well above the freezing point of sewage
more efficient at recovering heat energy
heat from the wastewater and then supplies (approximately –2.5°C), therefore
than an electric heat pump, the potential
this to a heat pump for upgrading. The there will not be a risk of freezing the
annual total heat supplied could be up
required heat exchanger length can be wastewater. When the wastewater is
to 34,020MWh, of which 20,150MWh
estimated using the average heat used for cooling, the temperature of
is recovered from the sewer (this
transfer capacities listed in Table 4. wastewater is estimated to increase
compares favourably with the quick
desktop analysis that estimated a A 975mm sewer could expect a to about 26°C if the average heat
heat energy potential of 14,871MWh). minimum heat transfer capacity of rejection rate is 2.3MW.

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Technical Features

income of 2% of the project value for the

Table 5. Capital costs. Table 6. Operating costs.
first three years of operation and 1% of
Equipment Estimated cost Equipment Estimated cost the project value for the two years after
that. Both options were helpful in bringing
Sewer heat Heat pump $135,660 the project closer to commercial viability,
$136,100
exchangers but neither was able to make the project
Circulation pumps $7,274
Sewer installation $356,000 commercially viable at this location.
Maintenance $11,520
Pipework $462,000 Comparison with
Total $154,454 European conditions
Heat pump $500,000 Sewer heat exchanger systems are
Details of capital and operating costs
Circulation pumps $16,000 successfully installed in many countries
are listed in Table 5 and Table 6.
including Switzerland, Germany and
Hot water heat Comparing this against the alternative Austria. We were, therefore, interested
$50,000
exchangers heating option that uses natural gas, in quantifying the climatic differences
which is sold at 3.14 c/kWh, it is not between northern Europe and Melbourne
External heat pump
$180,000 presently economically feasible to to assess if this could be a large
plant room enclosure
operate a sewer heat recovery system contributor to making such projects
Controls and of this size at this location. Natural gas viable there and not here. It is presumed
$10,000
monitoring prices would need to increase to 8.2 c/ by the large number of systems already
kWh before it was economically viable. installed that they are economically
Total $1,710,100
Alternatively, an option that may prove feasible at these other locations.
to be more economically viable would
Commercial viability The ambient air temperature
be a large heating or cooling demand
The total construction and installation difference between Stuttgart, Germany
centre that uses electricity rather than
cost for the proposed system (1MW and Melbourne has been used for this
gas, as the cost of electricity is presently
with an electric heat pump) was analysis. Temperature data of Stuttgart
approximately five times that of gas for
estimated to be AU$1,710,100 and the has been shifted six months and overlaid
the same energy content.
annual operating cost was AU$154,454. against Melbourne temperatures to allow
A number of a direct visual comparison. This is shown
alternative options in Figure 8. The temperature differences
were investigated have also been analysed to determine the
to determine if proportion of time that the temperature
these would change in each city is less than 15°C, and less
the commercial than 10°C. A summary is shown in Table 7.
business viability.
The countries where the sewer heat
These included
exchange systems operate successfully
reducing the sewer
have a significantly colder climate
construction cost and
than Melbourne. Not only is their
including the value
seasonal heating period longer, but the
of the non-tangible
temperature extremes are significantly
benefits of such a
lower than we experience in Melbourne.
project. An argument
Therefore, they require more heating
could be made to
for a higher proportion of the year
Figure 8. Temperature difference between Melbourne and reduce the sewer
and greater quantities of peak heating
Stuttgart. Temperature data of Stuttgart has been shifted construction cost if
six months to allow the comparison. demand. As a result, the heat exchange
the heat recovery
system is utilised for a longer period of
Table 7. Temperature differences between Melbourne system were installed
the year and so improves the payback
and Germany. when a new sewer
period of the initial investment.
was laid, because
Melbourne, Stuttgart, it would not be an
Temperature Another factor favouring the
Australia Germany incremental cost. The adoption of sewer heat recovery projects
Temperature ≤ 15°C 54% of year 76% of year non-tangible benefits in Germany is the higher energy costs.
were estimated to Domestic electricity prices in Germany
Temperature ≤ 10°C 28% of year 67% of year provide an additional are double Melbourne prices, and

Table 8. Heat energy source comparison (Melbourne).

Electricity Gas

Prices (AU c/kWh), domestic supply, Germany (Source: Eurostat, 2012) 38.27 9.27

Prices (AU c/kWh), domestic supply, Melbourne 15.50 3.14

GHG Intensity (kg CO2-e/kWh), Victoria (Source: DCCEE, 2012) 1.35 0.22

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Technical Features

reticulated natural gas is approximately • Where electricity is used for heating CRM (see – Compass Resource Management Ltd)
three times higher than in Melbourne (2005): Sustainable Energy Technology and
rather than natural gas;
Resource Assessment for Greater Vancouver,
(Table 8). These higher energy prices
• At a site that has a large cooling Final Report, pp. x+80.
are relatively recent. Electricity prices
increased three-fold between 2000 and demand that is presently powered CRM (see – Compass Resource Management Ltd)
2011 (Jardin, 2012). Germany now also from electricity; or (2008): District Energy Consultation Paper,
Prepared for: The District of Squamish, pp 1–52.
has Europe’s highest energy costs. In
• If natural gas prices were to rise to DCCEE (see – Department of Climate Change and
2013, energy cost in Germany was also
approximately 8.2 c/kWh, from the Energy Efficiency) (2012): Australian National
six times more expensive than in the
United States (Wikipedia, 2013). existing 3.14 c/kWh. Greenhouse Accounts: National Greenhouse
Accounts Factors. July 2012. ISBN: 978-1-
Critical variables for THE AUTHORS 922003-56-0.
a favourable sewer heat Dürrenmatt DJ & Wanner O (2008): Simulation
recovery project of the Wastewater Temperature in Sewers
In Melbourne, the most economical with TEMPEST. Water Science & Technology,
57, 11, pp 1809–1815.
heating energy is natural gas. This would
clearly be the primary energy source Hamburg Wasser (2011): Heat Recovery from
to use at sites with a large heating Sewage Pilot Project Hamburg, Germany.

requirement. Natural gas also has Francis Pamminger (email: Francis. Presentation delivered to Yarra Valley Water
Pamminger@[Link]) is the in March 2011 by Lueder Garleff.
a significantly lower greenhouse
gas intensity (Table 8). Manager of Research & Innovation Jardin N (2012): Public Presentation at the
International Water Association World Congress
at Yarra Valley Water in Melbourne.
With the large difference between at Busan, Korea; Ruhrverband, Germany.
natural gas and electricity, had this Kenway SJ, Turner GM, Cook S & Bayness T (2008):
project considered replacing an electrical Water-Energy Futures for Melbourne: The Effect
demand, it would make such a project of Water Strategies, Water Use and Urban Form.
commercially viable. Therein also Water for a Healthy Country Flagship Report,
presents a future parameter that could CSIRO. October 2008.
make a sewer heat recovery of cooling Klein SA, Beckman WA, Mitchell JW, Duffie JA,
David Scott (email: [Link]@yvw.
project viable. Cooling is of particular Duffie NA, Freeman TL, Mitchell JC, Braun
interest, as cooling in Melbourne is [Link]) is a Planning Engineer in the JE, Evans BL, Kummer JP, Urban RE, Fiksel A,
normally provided from chillers driven Sustainable Development Group at Thornton JW, Blair, NJ, Williams PM, Bradley DE,
Yarra Valley Water. McDowell TP, Kummert M & Arias DA (2012):
by an electrical energy source. While
TRNSYS 17: A TRaNsient SYstem Simulation
potentially ideal, if a site could be found
Program, Solar Energy Laboratory, University
where electricity was to be replaced, of Wisconsin-Madison.
an option analysis should also consider
Morrison G & Litvak A (1999): Condensed Solar
using natural gas to power a co-
Radiation Database for Australia. University
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However, this does suggest that
Rabtherm (2012): Sourced from [Link].
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so readily available, such technology
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CONCLUSIONS Energy Efficiency Group, Department 9th International IEA Heat Pump Conference,
of Infrastructure Engineering, at the Switzerland. Paper No. 5.22, pp 1–12.
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concept of recovering heat energy from University of Melbourne. SKM MMA (2012): Energy Price Forecasts 2013 to
a sewer is conceptually appealing. The 2032. Report for the WSAA. 13 November 2012.
method is widely used internationally Van der Hoek JP (2012): Climate Change Mitigation
but not yet in Australia. Various demand by Recovery of Energy From the Water Cycle:
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